gentle skincare

Jurlique Activating Water Essence

- Vicki 2 Comments
Jurlique Activating Water Essence

Jurlique Activating Water Essence

We are seeing Asian beauty influences in so many products being released by Western brands, only last week I blogged about the latest Lancome Cushion Makeup and it seems that the latest trend to hit our skincare routines is the Essence. I had to do a little background reading on just what exactly an Essence was and how best to use it in my skincare regime.

I thought I had a pretty rigorous regime and didn’t realise that there was room for one more step, a step that the Asian market have deemed to be one of the most important. So an Essence is not a toner, nope its used after both cleansing and toning, it can replenish moisture, balance skins PH levels and help skin look glowing. You use your hands to pat the product into your skin and let the rich, nourishing ingredients work their magic. One of the latest to hit the market is the Activating Water Essence from Australian skincare brand Jurlique & I have been putting it to the test.

Jurlique Activating Water Essence* £40

I thought adding another step to my skincare routine would be pointless and even more time consuming but I have to say this extra step has become one of my favourites. The action of patting the product into my skin is quite relaxing and my skin has felt a lot better too since introducing this. This product activates your skin in 3 ways

  1. Hydrates – Delivers continuous hydration and lasting moisture
  2. Conditions – Smooths skin to provide a soft, supple complexion
  3. Revitalise – Revitalises and re-energises for healthy-looking skin

New Jurlique Skincare Release 2016

At the centre of its highly concentrated formula is their star ingredient – Marshmallow Root Extract, which is great at deeply hydrating skin and improving its ability to retain moisture. So what is it about Marshmallow Root that makes it such a good skincare ingredient,

Marshmallow Root Extract has been used throughout history as a healing treatment, it has anti inflammatory properties, its gentle and soothing on the skin whilst also being a natural hydrator.

The Marshmallow Root’s ability to attract and retain water allows it to provide lasting hydration to the skin. It forms a protective barrier that helps rebalance dry skin and prevent moisture loss to leave skin feeling soft and smooth.

Along side the Marshmallow Root there are also quite a few other natural ingredients including,

  • Neem – Conditions and soothes
  • Lavender – Hydrates and calms
  • Rosemary – Invigorates and restores
  • Horsetail – Hydrates and balances
  • Witch Hazel – Clarifies and firms
  • Nettle – Rebalances and refreshes
  • Peach Leaf – Revitalises, regenerates and protects

Since using this my skin doesn’t look as fatigued or dull and it has been really good at reducing the redness in my cheeks. I am pretty pleased to have this step in my routine and can see why it is so popular. This bottle is going to last ages, you only need to splash a few drops into your hands and because it is so fluid a little goes a long way.

Let me know if you already have this step in your routine & if you’re a fan of any other Korean / Japanese beauty regimes or products.

*PR Sample

July 2016 Beauty Favourites

- Vicki 2 Comments
Five Beauty Favourites July 2016

Five Beauty Favourites July 2016

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic

I adore using this toner as part of my morning skincare routine. Its so soothing, calming and refreshing on the skin. It contains so many skin loving ingredients (as you expect from skincare experts Liz Earle), including active ingredients aloe vera to revitalise and soften and calendula, chamomile, cucumber and natural source vitamin E to soothe and refresh the skin.

This feels so gentle and soothing nice on the skin and the formula is alcohol free. It does have quite a strong floral / botanical scent, which I like and find relaxing. I pour a little product on to a cotton pad & sweep all over my face and neck every morning. Its not at all drying and leaves your skin feeling leans and hydrated, ready for the next step in your skincare routine. This paired with the Eye is the complete package! Now that Liz Earle is sold at larger Boots stores it is even easier to get hold of, which is ideal.

My Current Favourite Beauty Products

Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in Gorgeous Berries 

I always come back to this blush more than any other in my collection. Its just beautiful. I love the packaging, the fact that its a baked blush and the colour looks a little different each time I wear it. This blush has a marbling effect and I have heard them described as dupes for the much coveted Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blusher, I haven’t used those so I can’t compare. Although I can say its incredible quality for the price.

The Max Factor ones are buttery soft and extremely pigmented, I have the shade Gorgeous Berries which is a deep mauve berry shade. It is the darkest shade in the range and it gives the cheeks a beautiful flush of colour, if you want to build up the intensity you can go all out. These wear really well and the colour lasts all day. This shade does have a slight sheen to it but I wouldn’t say it was anything on par with a highlighter.

Maybelline Dream Flawless Nude

Again this is a foundation I have had in my collection for some time now and its one I love to go back to. The consistency is so fluid that I find it easy to blend and get a good even coverage. This is quite a dark shade compared to what I would usually wear but it works for the warmer months when I have a little more colour, so I am making the most of it. This gives quite a light coverage but it is build-able and it gives the skin a velvety smooth flawless (as the name suggests) finish. I really like the way it makes my skin look and it feels lightweight. Unlike some bases it actually looks better throughout the day, bonus!

July favourite products swatches

Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in BackTalk*

I have been wearing this lipstick almost everyday, the colour is so easy to wear. Its is a comfort matte finish but it doesn’t make my lips feel overly dry. Its not a faff to apply and it just makes me look like I have have made more of an effort with my makeup (when I am wearing bare minimal). BackTalk is a gorgeous mauve pink nude shade and I just can’t get enough of it.

Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in BackTalk

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Shadow Stick in Golden Pink

I know I am not alone in loving cream shadows, they are a lazy girls best friend. You just sweep the product over your eyelid & blend it out using your finger & it always looks amazing. This Golden Pink is not what I would call a pink, it is a lot more a golden and has a pretty metallic finish. These cream shadow sticks are easy to blend but after a couple of minutes they dry done and do not budge. These are very similar to the Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks which I have quite a few of and I’d say the quality of them is identical. I always travel with cream shadows, because they take up no space, they don’t break in your makeup bag and you don’t need a brush.

•PR Sample

Katherine Daniels Skincare

- Vicki 1 Comment
Katherine Daniels Skincare Products

Katherine Daniels Skincare Products

British Skincare brand Katherine Daniels

I love discovering new British brands and when this Katherine Daniels parcel arrived on my doorstep I was excited to try everything out.

Their skincare comes in easy to follow steps which makes everything so simple.

Step 1 – Essential Cleansing Milk

Step 1 – Essential Toning Lotion

Step 2 – Concentrate For Dry Skin

Step 3 – Sensitive Skin Cream

So caring for your skin has never been easier, we would all love to have the time & the money to have facials every week but that’s just not reality for most of us. So it’s nice to use skincare to create an almost Spa at Home type of feel & Katherine Daniels products are luxurious and have been created to treat the most common skin issues and conditions so you can really care for your skin at home!

Concentrate For Dry Skin*

This is a very lightweight but nourishing serum packed full of incredible skin benefits such as

  • Concentrated seaweed peptides – to protect & defend against ageing
  • Phytosqualane & Tryglicerides – to hydrate and nourish
  • Extract of Myrtle – Increases cell tissue life
  • Vitamin E – which helps protect from free radicals

This is a lovely serum if you are noticing fine lines and wrinkles, it plumps the skin and over time helps reduce them. It’s very rich and nourishing, it leaves the skin feeling smooth and is the perfect serum for the colder months. If you have dry sensitive skin then this will be a great addition to your routine.

Essential Cleansing Milk* 

This cleanser is so light in texture, I haven’t tried that many cleansing milks so I wasn’t sure how I would get on with this one. It is a very gentle and you use it on damp skin and massage it in, to break down makeup and dirt then use a damp warm cloth to remove. It has a soothing scent and it the cleanser left my skin feeling clean but not tight and it was very effective in removing my makeup. It contains these key ingredients

  • Red Seaweed and Blue Micro-Algae Extract – Which boost Collagen and Elastin within the skin
  • Glycerine – This helps to hydrate the skin and prevent moisture loss

So its also a good hydrating cleanser and will help your skin look radiant and plump. If you like to use a cleansing milk then you should check this one out.

Essential Toning Lotion*

I was excited to see this toner was alcohol-free so it’s not going to strip your skin or be too harsh. Toning is one of my favourite steps in my skincare routine. This one calms and soothes the skin, so its great for cold weather when my skin tends to be more sensitive and prone to redness. This contains some lovely ingredients too

  • Blue and White Lotus Flower Extract and Mastocarpus Extract – Both are excellent for relaxing and soothing the skin

This leaves your skin feeling comfortable and smooth, ready for the next step in your routine.

Sensitive Skin Cream*

This is a gel moisturiser which leaves my skin feeling velvety smooth and incredibly nourished. This feels like it sinks into the skin immediately, it’s not greasy or heavy and is a lovely smooth base for makeup. This also contains Phytosqualane which is a key ingredient in nourishing the skin and keeping it looking supple and radiant.

Katherine Daniels is a brand to keep your eye on, their products have a nice simple feel to them. They’re all really good quality and I have enjoyed them in my skincare routine. All four of the products in this post are Paraben and Mineral Oil Free.

To see their product range or find a Katherine Daniels salon near you visit www.katherinedanielscosmetics.com

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.

Products Currently in Use

- Vicki 2 Comments

Current Beauty Products

I have been in my new house for almost 3 weeks (the weeks have flown by) and before I moved I had a product clear out which felt really good and meant my stash was de cluttered and easier to manage. Now that I have a lovely bathroom I didn’t want all my products out & looking messy and overwhelming so at the start of the week I have a look in my skincare cupboard (let me know if you’d like a post about that) and I select the skincare I want to use that week, sometimes I keep the same products out but more often than not I have a big shake up. This way I am rotating products more and also discovering products that are at the back of the cupboard and aren’t getting the love they deserve.

So these are products that I am currently using & really enjoying.

Origins Original Skin Mask*

I have been using this Retexturizing mask twice a week for a while now & I really love it. What I really like about this mask is that its a dual action mask, so you smooth a layer over clean skin (I apply it with a brush). Then you relax and leave it for 10 minutes then you wet your fingertips and gently massage the mask off and the little jojoba beads gently exfoliate and refine the skin. Leaving you with the most soft, radiant looking skin.

So you’re getting a 2 phase mask and its not one of those masks you need to leave on for ages, you just apply it & wait 10 minutes then massage the beads whilst removing the mask & you have fresh looking radiant skin. Its a great one to apply if you’re in a time crunch and need your skin too look great or your makeup to sit on your skin really well! The clay mask side will help balance your skin and unclog pores and its so gentle it won’t dry out your skin at all, I think thats because it is made with Mediterranean Rose Clay and also has Canadian Willow Herb which are soothing and won’t irritate. If you like Origins face masks you will want to add this one to your line up.

Sanctuary Body Scrub

This is quite a gentle scrub so I like to use it daily just to keep my skin feeling smooth. Its has cooling gel like formula with tiny scrubbies, its not at all harsh so if you have sensitive skin it won’t feel irritating or abrasive.The pumice grains are a very light coloured, frothy volcanic rock. The tiny grains help remove dead skin cells on the skin’s surface, thereby improving skin tone. It has that signature Sanctuary scent of rejuvenating patchouli and soothing orange oil and it makes your bathroom smell like a Spa!

Kiehl’s Calendula Foaming Face Wash

I have been using this cleanser a couple of times a week for well over a year & its a product I never see mentioned on blogs. It’s targeted at people who have sensitive skin are that are prone to redness which is me! I have to say its a really lovely cleanser for the morning because It leaves my skin feeling revitalised and refreshed, it also cleanses the skin without stripping away all the moisture. It is sulphate & paraben free too. Two pumps is enough for your face & neck and like I said this bottle is lasting me ages. I really like Kiehl’s skincare and it never seems to let me down and this is a cleanser I can always rely on, especially if my skin is a little sore or I have a few blemishes it gently cleanses my skin and leaves it feeling clean but not stripped of moisture.

Decléor Micellar Oil*

I have noticed a couple of brands releasing Micellar Oils, I like Micellar Water & Cleansing Oils so having them combined is exciting. This offering from Décleor works really well at removing my makeup I use this as my first cleanse and it is so gentle but effective. I use two pumps and massage it on to dry skin so the oil dissolves my makeup, I like to work it in to the skin for about a minute then once you wet your face it emulsifies the oil and I take it off with a hot cloth. It contains Sweet Almond Oil which is rich in essential fatty acids and will help strengthen and soothe skin & it also contains Vegetable Squalene which is derived from Olive Oil and helps maintain skins optimum hydration levels and leaves skin feeling supple and radiant. This won’t sting your eyes or leave your skin feeling greasy, I also really like that it has a pump and it will last a really long time.

HEMA Hand Soap

This was from a recent trip to Amsterdam & I bought it mainly for the packaging, I thought it looked quite luxurious and simple but it actually smells pretty good too. It is in the scent Cedar and has notes of amber and musk. Also for an affordable hand soap it isn’t too drying, I do always use a hand cream after but thats because I get very chapped hands in the colder months. I love HEMA & can’t wait to try a few more scents.

Let me know what products you are currently using too!

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.